Soil-working implement



1961 K. A. DUPPENGIESSER 3,009,726

SOIL-WORKING IMPLEMENT Filed May 8, 1958 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIA' II LVENTOR= KARL AUGUST DUPPENGIESSER l- 5 BY Unitecl States Patent 3,009,726 SQHJ-WORKING IMPLEMENT Karl August Diippengiesser, Gera-Langenberg, Thuringia, Germany Filed May 8, 1958, Ser. No. 733,924 8 Claims. (Cl. 294-57) My present invention relates to a soil-working implement, such as a spade or a shovel, of the general type disclosed in my co-pending application Ser. No. 633,901, filed January 14, 1957, now Patent No. 2,956,831, issued October 18, 1960. This application concerns an improvement over the disclosure of said patent.

Spades that can be separated into their constituent parts, for more convenient transportation or storage, are known in the art. Heretofore, however, such parts were rather complex and expensive dies and jigs were required to produce their interlocking members.

-A principal object of the present invention is to provide a spade or like implement whose parts are detachably or permanently connected in a novel manner eliminating complicated joints.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved implement which can be easily assembled from simple parts without requiring, for this purpose, any objectionable projections such as lugs, rivets and the like which would mar the smooth soil-working surface of its blade.

A feature of the invention is the provision of a link member wholly receivable within the socket portion of the tool handle after the blade has been operatively positioned on the handle, this member being firmly held in a slot of the socket to lock the blade in place. Friction may suffice to hold the link member if detachability is desired; otherwise, the link may be permanently secured to the socket and/ or to the blade by welding.

A better understanding of the invention will be had from the following detailed description, given with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGS. 1a and 1b are views, in side and end elevation, respectively, of a link member forming part of a spade embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a view of the socket portion of the spade handle in axial section;

FIG. 3 is a side-elevation-al view of the spade socket;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled spade;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line V-V of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 4, showing a modification.

The spade shown in FIGS. 1(a, b)-5 comprises a blade 1, a socket member 12 forming a downward continuation of a handle 6 to which is secured by pins, rivets or screws 7, and a link member 3 adapted to establish a firm connection between blade 1 and socket 12. In order to receive the blade 1, the lower extremity of socket 12 is provided with a recess 13 into which fits a bent-over lip- 14 of the blade. Below recess 13 (as viewed in the normal working position of the spade, FIGS. 4 and 5) the socket 12 has a generally triangular opening 15 facing the blade and a relatively narrow slot 2 on the wall opposite this opening.

The link member 3, which is of substantially trapezoidal configuration as seen in FIGS. 1a and 4, fits tightly into the slot 2 and, when fully inserted, extends into the opening 15 so as to abut the blade 1 when the latter engages the recess -13 with its lip 14 (FIG. 4). Next, the link 3 is made rigid with blade 1 so as to prevent any involuntary detachment of the latter from the Socket 12, e.g., by welding as indicated at 5 in FIG. 5. A hole 4, provided in blade 1 near the lower edge of link 3, affords access to the welding torch; this hole can be closed in the same welding operation, as indicated in FIG. 4, after the seam 5 has been formed. Similarly, and for the same purpose, the link 3 may be welded onto socket 12 as indicated at 8 if it is forced fit within slot 2 is not considered sufficient.

If the blade is to remain detachable from the socket, removable fastening means may be used. Thus, I have shown in FIG. 6 a blade 1 which is detachably secured to the link 3 by means of screws 5'. Moreover, the link 3' and the slot 2 of socket 12 can be given a certain draft, as shown, for a more positive anchorage of the link in the socket.

The invention, of course, is not limited to the specific embodiments described and illustrated but may be realized in numerous adaptations and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A soil-working implement comprising a handle, a blade, a socket member accommodating said handle and fastened thereto, said socket member being provided with a recess receiving an edge of said blade, said socket member further having a slot extending opposite said blade in generally longitudinal direction of the handle, a link member tightly fitting inside said slot and firmly engaging said socket member at said slot, said link member extending into contact with the proximal surface of said blade while terminating at said surface, and fastening means s curing said link member to said blade.

2. An implement according to claim 1 wherein said fastening means comprises an internal welding seam between said blade and said link member.

3. An implement according to claim 1 wherein said recess extends transversely to the plane of said blade, said edge forming a bent-over lip on said blade.

4. An implement according to claim 3 wherein said slot terminates substantially at the level of said recess, said lip bearing upon said link member.

5. An implement according to claim 4 wherein said link member is generally wedge-shaped and converges toward said surface, said slot matingly engaging said link member for preventing withdrawal of the latter in the direction of said blade.

6. A process for joining the blade of a soil-working implement to a socket portion of a handle therefor, said socket portion having a concave side and a convex side interconnected by a slot, comprising the steps of provid ing an access opening in said blade, loosely positioning said blade adjacent the concave side of said socket portion, driving a link member from the convex side of said socket through said slot into contact with said blade adjacent said access opening, fastening said link member to said socket, and welding said link member onto said blade through said access opening,

7. A process according to claim 6, comprising the further step of closing said access opening in the same welding operation upon completing the connection between said link member and said blade.

8. A process for joining a blade of a soil-Working implement to a socket member adapted to receive a handle, said socket member having a concave side and a convex side interconnected by a slot, comprising the steps of loosely positioning said blade adjacent the concave side of said socket member, wedging a link member from the convex side of said socket member through said slot into contact with said blade, and firmly securing said link member to said blade.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 110,126 Fairley Dec. 13, 1870 4 Laws July 4, 1899 Kortick Mar. 4, 1930 Washington Dec. 8, 1936 Ready Oct. 17, 1939 Harte May 7, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Apr. 18, 1957 

